Spotify also offers the best free tier: Without paying a dime or providing a credit card number, you can listen to millions of tunes and even stream Spotify Connect to numerous Wi-Fi devices. This is thanks to a fun, easy-to-use interface, an extensive catalog and the best device compatibility. When it comes to choosing a service, it's a close race between Spotify Premium and Apple Music, but Spotify still wins as the best music streaming service overall. The service has also ramped up its nonmusic content with a push toward podcasts, which indirectly led to folk-rock icon Neil Young removing his music from the service. It offers a number of curated music discovery services, including its Discover Weekly playlist, and is constantly implementing new ones, such as Stations and an AI DJ. Spotify is a pioneer in music streaming and is arguably the best-known service. Spotify: Comparing the Top Music Streaming Services We'll update this list periodically.Īnd if you want the TL DR, these are the top three. So which music streaming services offer the best combination of price, sound quality and library size? Read on to find an in-depth look at each of the services and a feature comparison, along with a full price breakdown in the chart at the bottom of the page. It's worth noting that, in this roundup, I've purposefully left out services that can only play music in a radio format (such as basic Pandora and UnRadio) and that don't allow you to select your own songs. I've checked out the biggest names, including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon MusicĪnd YouTube Music, as well as smaller contenders such as Tidal, Qobuz, Deezer and Pandora Premium, to see how each platform stacks up for your subscription buck. Until recently, prices had been stable at around $10 a month, but both Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited have increased their prices by a dollar. Most of the services have music catalogs with around 100 million tracks, plus they enable you to stream from multiple devices. If you're shopping around, the main two things you need to consider are monthly cost and connectivity. Besides that, there are numerous extra features, such as karaoke, classical music, podcasts and audiobooks, vying for your attention. In the past, some audiophiles may have scoffed at the quality of streamed music, but a growing number of providers include lossless and spatial Dolby Atmos audio at no extra charge. Music streaming services offer users a world of convenience and discovery, allowing people to listen to their favorite artists easily and quickly.

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